Scenic
Float Trip (Detailed Trip Outline)

Scenic Rafting
on the North Thompson River in Wells Gray Provincial Park, BC Canada!

The trip starts at Riverside Adventure’s
RAFTING & FITNESS
CENTRE where the guests are greeted and welcomed in to go
over trip financial's and to sign a standard waiver that outlines some
of the minor risks and hazards associated with river rafting. Once
that is completed, the guests are directed to the “Trip Meeting
Location” where they are outfitted with Personal Flotation Devices
(PFD’s) and any other equipment that may add to their comfort
on the river, such as fleece jackets or baseball caps depending on
the weather. This trip is perfect for those wanting to stay nice
and dry as they relax and enjoy all the scenic beauty that the area
has to offer; therefore not a lot of specialty equipment is required. If
the guests wish to bring along a camera or other personal items, the
guide will provide a dry bag in which such valuables can be stored. Other
valuables can be stored in blue bins provided by Riverside Adventures.
The blue bins are then securely locked up, under the care of a staff
member who always remains on site at the Fitness Centre. Riverside
takes great care in ensuring that all of our guests will be warm, comfortable
and properly dressed for the season.

Once everyone is geared up we have a short walk of about 200 meters down
to the riverbank where the guests are loaded on to the raft. We
use an 18 foot inflatable raft with rear mounted oars which the guide
will use to propel and navigate the raft down the river. Since
the oars provide the guide with full control of the raft, the guests
are free to stretch out and relax and enjoy the weather and scenery.
The float trip follows the historic route taken by the Overlanders, a
group of adventurous frontiers men seeking a faster route to the gold
rush that was taking place over a hundred years ago. This group
were the first white settlers to explore this region and travel down
the then uncharted North Thompson River.

After the raft launches, it will float slowly down the
Clearwater River. It
soon passes under a logging bridge and then the Highway 5 bridge. Just
past the second bridge, the Clearwater River meets the North Thompson
River and the two rivers become one. This is a great point of interest
because even though the two rivers meet, they don’t actually mix
for about 5km. The Clearwater River is mostly lake fed, so it runs
dark green and clear. The North Thompson however, is largely glacier
fed, so it is colder and carries silt, causing it to run light green
and a little cloudy. When the raft first enters on to the North
Thompson, you can see a clear division between the light green and dark
green water, as if there was an invisible barrier between the two of
them.

As the raft meanders down the North Thompson River, the
guests are often fortunate enough to view some of the local wildlife
along the banks or the river or in the sky. The most commonly spotted
wildlife along the river are Ospreys and Bald Eagles. Its quite
breath taking to watch either of these great predatory birds circling
in the sky above you; scanning the water for prey. Then, if you are really
lucky, see it dive through the air, splash into the water and instantly
come up again with a fish locked in its talons. About half way
along the trip there is a large Osprey nest that is occupied each year
and in the spring you can see and hear the young Osprey chicks chirping
wildly for food. There is also the possibility of spotting dears, elks
or bears, though this doesn't happen quite as often.

In addition to the amazing wildlife is the beautiful scenery along the
North Thompson River. The bright sun sparkling on the rippling,
still water as the raft floats lazily through the dense woods and mountains
is simply beautiful. The guests are treated to about 18kms of
this amazing scenery, until we arrive at the takeout, where the raft
is met by the Riverside bus. The guests are escorted out of the
raft, up the bank and into the bus. From there, it is a short 15
minute drive back to the Riverside Adventures “Trip Meeting
Location”.

Our knowledgeable staff is also happy to give out information
and maps regarding other adventures in Wells Gray Park. This then completes
a wonderful 3 hour outing with locally owned Riverside Adventures Ltd.
Our professional guiding staff take great pride in insuring that every
customer is completely satisfied with their river experience. Please
call us if you have additional questions or would like to make a reservation
at 250 674-0001. We are
located at 58 Young Rd, downtown Clearwater and offer regular departures
at 4:30pm. Call or email soon!